Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Wow, I absolutely loved this book! I actually could not put it down last night and stayed up until midnight to finish it.

It's actually the third in a trilogy, which I wasn't aware of when I requested the galley, but that didn't matter too much - there were a couple of times when I had no idea what the girls were referring to, but on the whole it was easy enough to put the pieces all together. I definitely want to read the other two books now though, even though I know what happens. Apparently one is from Ginger's pov as she is being bullied by Kylie and her minions, and the other is from Tori's as she observes quietly and is glad it's not her. Intriguing! Love the idea.

And I have to say, I really liked Kylie too... yes she was a brat at first but then she starts being bullied herself, by her former friends, and they're frickin' horrible! You can't help but feel sorry for her, myself probably even more so because I hadn't read the book where she was the bully. I liked watching her journey with Lydia and how she actually did manage to change and grow, going from wanting to do the bare minimum to get it all over with and get herself reinstated at school (and on the cheer squad), to actually getting into the sessions and loving her role as camp counselor. I loved her trio of six-year-olds too, and loved how at first she called Abigail and Nichole "Attitude" and "Xerox". Hah! And it was nice how by the end they were Abby and Nicky. And chubby little Felicity in her too-small t-shirts was just adorable. It was awesome to watch the change in Kylie as she was removed from her former friends, and stuck only with Izzy - who she eventually realised she didn't actually like. Her standing up for Ginger when Izzy was bullying Felicity and making her blame Ginger was an awesome storyline, and I loved how in the end Kylie sort of became friends with Ginger and Tori's group... not all of a sudden firm besties because that would have been unrealistic, but no longer hated by them.

Her former friends were horrible, and I was shocked at the fake email they sent to everyone - taking Kylie's original email and rewording it to paint her as the one and only villain and themselves as her victims. How true any of that was, I don't know as I haven't read the first two books... would be interesting to have a fourth book, from Heidi or Rhiannon's pov, but then I'm already way biased against them ;)

It does make me wonder how much Kylie would have grown and changed without being bullied herself. Did it take that for her to understand how Ginger had felt? I mean it felt like she was on the right path without it... sad that those other two, and Izzy, sunk to such lows.

I'm very anti-bullying, so it's kind of amusing to me that I liked Kylie so much - but then, as I said, I never actually saw/read her as the bully, and maybe my opinion of her would change if I read the other books. Argh!

I wasn't bullied in school myself, just picked on a few times as everyone was at some stage I'm sure; my own bullying experience didn't come until much later when I was unfortunate enough to share a house with two out-and-out bullies, and a handful of lazy bystanders. Those people were supposedly adults, but to be honest I don't see any of them ever growing up and figuring out how to apologise like twelve-year-old Kylie did!

This book tells the story of Kylie Steppe who used to be the leader of the ‘popular’ girls at Gold Country Middle School. She was a bully who encouraged others to bully students who didn’t fit into her clique but now they’ve gone too far, been named and shamed and she’s in danger of being expelled from the school. To avoid this, Kylie has to attend mandatory counselling with Lydia and complete tasks, including working as a teaching assistant at a summer camp for less fortunate, younger children. Kylie initially is resistant to all these measures but, without her posse to support her, counselling that makes her reevaluate her attitude and gives her goals, can she turn her life around?

This is brilliantly told from Kylie’s point of view. Through the story it is slowly revealed why she has acted in this manner and the blame isn’t all on her. It also includes others who bully, including Kylie’s mother and one of the students at the camp and examples of cyber bullying. If only every child could have a Lydia in their life to help support and guide them, the world would be a better place for everyone! Really impressed with this and would recommend all tweens read it - it doesn’t excuse bullying but does helps develop understanding of why bullies behave as they do. I understand there are two other books in the series sharing the story from the points of view of the victim and a bystander but haven’t read either. If they are as engaging as this one, the set should be mandatory texts for pupils in this age group!

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was wonderful. A story of bullying from the perspective of the bully. It is actually book three in the "Mean Girl Makeover" series. That being said, you don't really get a great look at the situation that this book starts from. I assume it is in books one and two. This story starts with a meeting between Kylie (the main character), the school administrators and her parents.

Kylie does't see what she's being doing as bullying. She thinks other girls are just jealous of her. To try and appeal her expulsion from school, she is jumping through the principal's hoops. Weekly she meets with Lydia (a counselor) and daily volunteers at a summer day camp, helping underprivileged kids with dance. expelled from school.

Over the summer, Kylie begins to change. In the process, she becomes the victim of bullying herself. The girls who were her friends now are blaming her for everything that happened and retaliating by posting horrible photo-shopped pictures to instagram.

This book is a great one for the tweens and teens. Many will be victims of bullying or be bullies themselves. I highly recommend this book to parents of young girls. I plan on getting the series to share with my girls.

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/review/R28KLUVH61BNGU/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Kylie Steppe is the leader of the ‘popular’ girls at Gold Country Middle School. Kylie is a "mean girl" who has other girls do her dirty work for her. When the school finds out how the group is treating others, they threaten to expel her. The only way for Kylie to get back in good graces with the school is to see a counselor named Lydia and agrees to work at a summer camp for children who don't necessarily have the resources to normally attend.
As the book progresses, we learn more about Kylie and the people around her, including her friends and family. Since the book is told from Kylie's point of view, we are able to see how her relationship with Lydia changes for the better as the time passes. The reader also learns more about Kylie's character through her relationship with others (both positive and negative)!

I would recommend this book to any tween who is dealing with an uncomfortable social situation, or who feels that they are being singled out. I would also recommend this book to use as a gentle reminder to students that tend to have negative relationships with their peers.

I was bullied in junior high and high school. I was told that “girls will be girls” and to “just ignore it.” I was also counseled that responding to the bullying with physical violence would solve the problem once and for all. No adults went to bat for me, even though several knew what was going on. No adults counseled me to look beyond the behavior of the bully to the bully’s heart to try to see why she was doing what she was doing. I sure wish I could have had a book series like this when I was that age.

This is the third book in a series telling a story from three different perspectives: the victim, the bystander, and the bully (this book). In this book, the reader learns that the bully has some significant challenges that are prompting her desire to be mean and rule over others. The reader is also privileged to see that change is possible and that a bully can mend her ways. I like the way this is presented as a story rather than as non-fiction. There's just something about a story that works its way into the heart much better than dry recitation.

I really like that the book presents Biblical solutions for change and encourages the reader (and perhaps victims of bullying) to view other people through the eyes of compassion and empathy. This book (these books) would be excellent for a small group book club of teen and tween girls and maybe even their moms, too.

I gratefully received this eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.